**** Highly Recommended There’s new revue on The Second City e.t.c. stage, Chaos Theory of Everything. I can’t say this was the funniest e.t.c. revue I’ve seen but it was pretty darn funny. The beginning was a little low key, but the pace did pick up. It wasn’t too long before people were laughing and having a good time. By the way, in case you’re wondering, e.t.c. does not mean etcetera, rather it’s the stage where they can experiment, take chances. 3 ½ Spotlights
The e.t.c. stage has another new look. The drab background is gone, replaced by opaque panels outlined by lights which appear and disappear in a myriad of colors, while center stage features vertical stripes.
Meghan Babbe, Jenelle Cheyne, Javid Iqbal and Tim Metzler return, Spencer Hodges and Max Thomas are the newcomers. All six are powerful talents on their own, but together they can be zany.
The problem with this show occurs when they ask for audience participation. In one improv sketch, they randomly pick a woman in the audience to ask about her job. When she tells them she has three jobs – all of which were unusual – trying to incorporate those jobs into the skit became awkward and not very funny.
When they incorporated suggestions from another woman in the audience, she joined right in with them with even funnier ideas for a sketch about a soap opera called The Dainty and Disturbed, which turned out to be hilarious.
My favorite sketch was the Char and Jer show, tipsy podcast hosts, who shared martinis and gossip while wearing sparkly sequined jackets – and terrible wigs. When they went off on vaccines, it got really insane!
Some of my favorite highlights:
- The Benny the Bull blackouts
- The surprise party that worked so well one crazed guest wanted to do it again, so the guest of honor had to leave and come back. When she demanded a repeat, they indulged her again and again until she finally went ballistic
- The exasperated mom who tells her son that she’ll start over with his brother
- A Shark Tank return visit
- The Lorax – Tim Metzler in an orange body suit has to be seen to be believed – speaks for the trees
Chaos Theory of Everything is in an open run at The Second City’s e.t.c., 230 W. North Avenue, Chicago. Parking in the adjacent garage is available but pricey. Drinks and bar-food are available throughout the performance. Running time is just about two hours, with an intermission. Performances are Thursdays at 8:00 pm, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:00 & 10:00 pm, and Sundays at 7:00 pm, in the e.t.c. Theater, located on the 2nd Floor of Piper’s Alley. Tickets start at $39. FYI (312) 337-3992 or www.secondcity.com.